The present invention relates to a centrifuge comprising a chamber, a rotor arranged therein, means for driving the rotation of the rotor, and means for cooling the atmosphere of the chamber.
The invention applies in particular to the centrifuging of biological products.
The cooling of the atmosphere of the chamber of a centrifuge of this type is generally achieved by cooling a wall of the chamber, for example by causing a cooling fluid to circulate on the outside of the chamber, or by using a Peltier-effect system.
However, it is found that these methods of cooling are not very effective and/or generate a significant amount of heat outside the chamber.
The latter aspect is particularly troublesome in the case of the centrifuging of products likely to release pathogenic or toxic substances, it being necessary for such centrifuging to be performed in specially appointed rooms. The volume of these rooms, which meet, for example, the type P3 or P4 confinement standards, is limited and numerous items of apparatus giving off large amounts of heat are generally gathered in these rooms. Now, such release of large amounts of heat is detrimental to the correct operation of these items of apparatus, to their life, and to the results of the manipulations.
The object of the invention is to solve these problems by providing a centrifuge in which the cooling means are effective and lead to a limited production of heat outside the chamber.
To this end, the subject of the invention is a centrifuge comprising a chamber, a rotor arranged therein, means for driving the rotation of the rotor, and means for cooling the atmosphere of the chamber, characterized in that the means for cooling the atmosphere of the chamber comprise a Ranque vortex tube, a cold outlet of which is connected to one inlet of the chamber, and in that the centrifuge comprises a pressurized-gas supply circuit which is connected to an inlet of the Ranque vortex tube and which is intended to be connected to a source of pressurized gas.
According to particular embodiments, the centrifuge may comprise one or more of the following features, taken in isolation or in any technically feasible combination:
the centrifuge comprises a gas-purification unit, one inlet of this unit being connected to an outlet for drawing gas from the chamber,
the purification unit comprises at least one filter,
the purification unit comprises at least one device for the chemical treatment of the drawn-off gas,
one outlet of the said gas-purification unit is connected to a suction device,
the means for driving the rotation of the rotor are pneumatic rotational-drive means connected to the pressurized-gas supply circuit,
the pneumatic rotational-drive means comprise a turbine,
the suction device is controlled by the pressurized gas supplied to the pneumatic means for driving the rotation of the rotor,
the suction device comprises a venturi injection system including an inlet for entraining fluid intended to be connected to the said source of pressurized gas, an inlet for entrained fluid connected to the said outlet of the purification unit, and an outlet for entraining fluid and entrained fluid which is connected to the pneumatic means for driving the rotation of the rotor,
the centrifuge comprises a source of decontamination gas connected to one inlet of the chamber,
the chamber is leak-tight,
the centrifuge comprises a pneumatic device for braking the rotor,
the supply circuit comprises a timer-controlled valve,
the centrifuge comprises a door which can move between a position for access to the inside of the chamber and a closed position, the centrifuge further comprises a pneumatic device for locking the door in its closed position, which locking device is connected to the pressurized-gas supply circuit,
the locking device comprises a first lock which can move between a position for locking and a position for unlocking the door, the first lock being secured to a rod of a first pneumatic ram connected via at least one individual pipe to the said pressurized-gas supply circuit, the locking device comprises a valve for selectively switching the individual pipe or pipes to the pressurized-gas supply circuit,
the supply circuit comprises an automatic-locking valve which itself includes a shut-off member which can move between a position for opening and a position for closing the automatic-locking valve, one outlet of this automatic-locking valve is connected to the said switching valve, the said shut-off member is kept in the open position when the door of the centrifuge is in the closed position, and the said switching valve, when at rest, places the said outlet of the automatic-locking valve and the first ram in communication so that the first lock is driven towards its locking position,
the automatic-locking valve is intended to be permanently connected to the said source of pressurized gas,
the locking device comprises a second lock which can move between a position of immobilizing the first lock in its locking position and a position of releasing the first lock, and the second lock is secured to the rod of a second pneumatic ram permanently connected to one outlet of the said timer-controlled valve.